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Parking Permits a Perk of the Job?
January 10th, 2008

UFT blog Edwize reprinted Randi Weingarten’s letter to Mayor Bloomberg, objecting to his plan to reduce city-issued parking permits permits. Streetsblog fairly well tears apart her assertion that “Teachers are not abusers of parking permits,” and other posts there show school employees parked on sidewalks and in school yards.

So far she’s the first city union leader to speak out publicly about the Mayor’s plan, though Streetsblog did report in December Teamster President Gary LaBarbera’s argument at a congestion hearing that parking permits are a protected form of compensation. Will Weingarten’s objections be formally echoed by other city employee unions?

And, not to repeat our wonky selves, but will cracking down on permit abuse really be part of the program? We asked the same question back in May when we first heard rumblings of a parking permit belt-tightening. Ray Kelly says yes:

“In addition to the reduction in official placards, vehicles displaying look-alike or counterfeit placards will be issued summonses and their owners will be subject to further prosecution,”

Commenters on The Daily Gotham are debating the necessity of driving to school at all, while Sun readers want to know where there are records of how parking permits are issued.

By Amanda Hickman on January 10, 2008, 10:56 am
In category: Gotham City, Transportation | 1 Comment »

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One Response to “Parking Permits a Perk of the Job?”

  1. Larry Littlefield Says:
    January 11th, 2008 at 8:16 am

    If there is one thing the public employee unions will not accept, it is better pay to do a better job for all their members.

    They want special perks for those who matter, and richer pensions after shorter careers for those cashing in and moving out. Then they complain that the low pay of those the city is trying to hire hurts the quality of public services.

    Here’s a warning. Senior citizens have been the wealthiest people in this country, as more and more perks have been thrown their way. But younger generations, on the wrong end of multi-tier contracts in every aspect of life, from business to government to divorce and single parenthood families, have been much worse off. And they will be vastly worse off in old age.

    As the economy weakens, and public services and benefits are cut, resentment at pensions and special perks like these will grow exponentially. To the vast majority who don’t matter, they are an in-your-face demonstration that they don’t matter. But if we ever have an actual election and that changes, the backlash could be enormous.

    Better to take pay now instead of perks and a promise of shorter careers. I for one am in favor of breaking such promises, given what has gone on.

    I’ll say it again, the only people who are getting richer are retired public employees and top executives, through their control of institutions that exploit everyone else. And everyone else is getting poorer. How much will they take before a breaking point is reached?

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